STAND. COM. REP. NO. 460-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2395

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2395 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TAKING OF MARINE DEPOSITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to approve permits for research, education, management, or propagation purposes that include the taking of marine deposits seaward of the shoreline, as long as the resources will be returned to the beach if possible and pose no risk to the environment.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Land and Natural Resources regularly receives requests for permits that involve the taking of sand, dead coral, coral rubble, rocks, soil, or other marine deposits from state waters for research, education, management, or propagation purposes. However, the Department is not authorized to approve these permit requests because of the prohibitions in section 171-58.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Your Committee further finds that this measure would allow legitimate research projects in fields such as geology, chemistry, biology, and climate science to occur without violating state law.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2395, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2395, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair